Playing with Dhoni, Raina in IPL will certainly help: Morkel

Colombo: Albie Morkel, a regular in the Chennai Super Kings line-up during IPL, says the experience of sharing the dressing room with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, R Ashwin and Suresh Raina will help South Africa when they take on India in their final Super Eight game of the World Twenty20.

"Well, it certainly helps having played alongside these players. IPL has got all close together. Since I have shared the change room with these guys, I will able to give inputs to my team about them and vice-versa.

"But then, they will also need to change small things in their game and I will also need to do the same. Ultimately, it's about who's going to perform better under pressure," Morkel said ahead of South Africa's training session here.

The Proteas will be playing against India on October 2, besides meeting Pakistan and Australia in the Colombo leg of the Super Eights, and the all-rounder termed it a "very tough group".

"India have played very well and Pakistan also has played some fantastic cricket. The wicket here is a bit on the slower side and will offer turn. Our preparation needs to be different and we would focus on our preparation," said Morkel, who didn't play the last match due to an ankle injury.

Rain has been a factor in this ongoing edition with South Africa having to play a 7 overs-per-side game against Sri Lanka and under these conditions, it is better to "bat first", felt Morkel.

"It's something you can't really control and I believe it favours batting first. Obviously, even in those conditions you need to bat well and can't just score some 40-odd runs. But having played a curtailed match, I can assure you that it ends in a flash before you could settle down."

The elder of the Morkel brothers, Albie has often been Dhoni's 'Go-To Man' in IPL whether while needing a few big hits or bowling at the death. But he believed that for an impact player to prosper one needs a good team to rally around that particular player.

"I don't think you can survive unless you have a good team. You need 11 players to make an impact and on a given day, at least 3-4 should perform in order to win a match. If you look at the lesser teams, they have 2-3 players making in impact and they win the match."

Asked about his role in the side, he answered, "It's the same and that of a floater. While batting I am expected to give the side's score the required kick and bowl in different situations. For me, as long as I am able to make an impact even in 2-3 balls, I am happy.

"As long as you have that mindset, you don't need to worry. Whenever I go out there to bat in slog overs and need to get a few runs, I feel nervous. But I also do a lot of simulation training in the nets. If I can execute what I have done in the nets, I find it satisfying."